


Christmas... well, cheer isn't the right word

by IanPeriwinkle



Series: Rogues Holiday Collection [2]
Category: The Flash (Comics)
Genre: Christmas, F/M, Holidays, Ice Skating, M/M, Why are these bastards all such idiots, the flash rogues - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-11
Updated: 2016-12-11
Packaged: 2018-09-07 20:45:34
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,380
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8815717
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IanPeriwinkle/pseuds/IanPeriwinkle
Summary: It's December now, and Hartley and James have almost gotten over their awkwardness. Almost. Leonard decides to take some of the boys ice skating as a treat, and it ends in an extremely unexpected manner - not entirely negative from his perspective, but Hartley and Roscoe both have some choice words to say about the Rogues' newest recruit.





	

**Author's Note:**

> This is a continuation from 'The Problem with Spandex'. It's probably best if you read that before this. Hopefully this one will actually end with some smut, but we all know how good I am at following up on these things.

Neither Hartley nor James brought up the awkwardness surrounding Halloween again for the rest of November, choosing instead to do what the Rogues did best and ignore any awkward or romantic feelings in favour of focusing on their heists.

Of course, as per usual, there was a lot of contact between the two, and things almost got back to normal between them – until one snowy December day.

The residents of Central City and Keystone had awoken that morning to a heavy sheet of snowfall, prompting multiple schools and businesses to close for the day, and ensuring that the Rogues couldn’t pull off any of their heists that were planned due to the sheer amount of people roaming the streets. They tried to keep the public out of the way for very good reasons (Murder was not one of their intended crimes, accidental or no, and unfortunately Mick and Digger especially tended to have… _accidents_ with their weapons), and so to commit a crime with that many people around was sure to end badly.

This did, however, create an opportunity for Len to do something he’d been meaning to for a while – teaching some of the less opposed Rogues how to ice skate. Mick had opted out three years in a row now, understandably. And the first and only time Digger had tried it had ended in disaster. He hated going outside in the American winter anyway. This year, James was all keen to go skating, along with Mark, and a slightly apprehensive Hartley who Len was sure only wanted to go because James was.

And Roscoe, well… he was off on a date. What kind of dumb broad would want to date him Len didn’t know.

The small group trudged out into the snow that morning, an eager Trickster bounding ahead to Len’s car and calling “shotgun” before being shoved aside by Mark.

“Nah, oldest gets the front,” He brunette shrugged, opening the door and getting in as Hartley climbed into the backseat without a fuss.

Len climbed in behind the wheel. “Yeh know, kid, sometimes I think yer the only one who’s normal out of us,” He told Hartley, shooting a glare at James, who was refusing to get in the back seat, whining about the rules of shotgun and how Mark was obviously too old to even comprehend its importance. When he was about to start on another rendition of the exact rules of shotgun, Len interrupted him, “Just get in the goddamn car, Jesse,”

He pouted, but obeyed Len and got into the back seat next to Hartley, actually bothering to buckle up his seatbelt all the while aiming well-timed kicks at the back of Mark’s seat. “Stop being a child, Jesse,” Len shot him a withering glare and started the car, taking them to a skate rink that he’d frequented with his sister as a kid. Not that he’d ever tell any of the Rogues that – they didn’t even know he had a sister, and he planned to keep it that way. In fact, he hadn’t contacted her for a few years. Not since becoming a villain, anyway. She didn’t need to be exposed to that danger.

Most of the drive was spent with Hartley and Len silent, Len too busy concentrating on driving to speak, and Hartley specifically trying to drown out the sounds of the other two – James and Mark had spent the entire drive arguing, getting louder and louder, their argument accentuated by James’ hardening kicks on the back of Mark’s seat.

Eventually they pulled up outside a slightly decrepit skating rink, and Len ushered them out of the car. They filed in, queued up, eventually got in (Len actually paid, and James stared at him in shock), and got into their skates before getting onto the ice, Len gliding on comfortably while Mark and James struggled for a moment before adjusting.

Hartley stood at the edge of the rink and stared distastefully at the ice, scrunching up his nose in a way that James couldn’t help but think was cute – well, before he told himself _again_ that he was really actually straight, and straight guys don’t think of their guy friends like that.

He tentatively put one foot on the ice, then moved to place the other and gracefully fell flat on his face. It took a moment to process what happened, before James started cackling and pointing. “What was that?” He cried, doubling over as Hartley struggled to get up with the assistance of the rail.

“It’s called ‘I’m clumsy’,” Hartley said dryly, as he righted himself, “and I’m surprised you hadn’t noticed already.”

“Come on, it’s not too hard when you get used to it.” Len said, as he skated backwards, beckoning Mark and Hartley to follow him, while James skated off on his own.

Hartley frowned when James did a triple axel, turning around to wink at them. “Show off,” He muttered, and slowly pushed himself out onto the ice. He wobbled a bit, but was slowly getting used to the sensation.

Mark had been skating once before, as a kid, but had never really gotten the hang of it back then. He still, however, had more experience with it than Hartley who had never once been allowed to try it as a child (and he’d been in hospital recovering from surgeries most of the time anyway), and his boyfriends until then had been fairly opposed to spending the money required to go skating, and so he picked it up much faster than the red-head, managing to finish a tentative lap before Hartley had even skated half the rink.

“God dammit,” Hartley swore as he fell for the third time. “Why did I even agree to this?” He moaned as Len skated past effortlessly.

“Um, because you want to get into blondie’s pants so you’re doing any activity you can to get his attention?” Or that was Len’s analysis of the situation, anyway. He quirked an eyebrow as Hartley began to flush. “Got it in one,” He smirked, and skated away, leaving Hartley to pull himself up yet again.

Hartley scowled at Len’s back and continued attempting the rounds, embarrassed that even small children were skating past happily and easily while he, a grown man, couldn’t even complete one lap without falling. It was made worse by the fact that every time James glided past he’d turn around and smirk at Hartley with that gorgeous goddamn mouth and those bright blue eyes that made him want to simultaneously melt into a puddle, and prove his worth.

“Dammit, I’m fucking done,” Eventually Hartley left the rink, staring at his skates as he made his way to the benches and took them off aggressively. He was just pulling on his own sneakers when he heard a familiar voice and turned around to see Roscoe chatting up a young blonde woman. Not wanting to draw attention to himself from the older Rogue who seemed to have an extremely strong distaste for him, Hartley snuck away to the booth to return his skates, and then go sit by the rink to watch James and Mark until the session was over.

He wasn’t expecting Roscoe to notice him, and he _definitely_ wasn’t expecting the woman’s voice to join his behind him. “So _this_ is the little fag Lenny let into the Rogues?” She said scornfully, and Hartley turned to see her sneering at him.

 _Jesus, even the ice would have been better than this._ Hartley plastered a fake smile on his face. “Hi, Roscoe, who’s the girl?” He really didn’t want to start shit with the person who was next-closest to Len to being leader of the Rogues.

Roscoe’s arm curled around the girl’s waist protectively. “None of your business,” He said, and ushered the blonde away to the rink. He gave her a kiss before she skated off, smiling brightly, but the smile disappeared as soon as he turned back to see Hartley.

He looked like he would say something, and Hartley was ready to jump to his own defence, when a cry of “Lenny!” filled the skating rink and heads turned to see the blonde tackling Len. “What…?” Hartley’s eyes widened in surprise.

Not quite as much as Len’s did though.

“… Lisa?”


End file.
